It is always important to eat foods that are good for you as an individual. In practice, when giving advice to patients, I often call on Ayurvedic principles to help me give a particular patient individualised advice. Ayurveda has the oldest 'eat right for your type' diet!
In Ayurveda, all things are considered to have one or more of 6 universal flavours. All foods and medicines can be classified as sweet, sour, salty, pungent (spicy), bitter or astringent (drying / puckering) or a combination of these flavours. There are 3 good flavours and three bad flavours for each constitutional type. The suggestions given below are aimed at trying to include more of the 3 good flavours of foods in your diet and less of the 3 bad flavours. If you have determined which of your 3 doshas are predominant - Vata, Pitta or Kapha, then you can have a look at the guidelines below to help you to adjust your eating style:
These are very broad guidelines. Never force yourself to eat a food that disagrees with you or that you have an allergy to! If you are at all confused or unsure of what to do, always consult a knowledgeable practitioner for individualised advice!
VATA REDUCING DIET
NERVOUS SYSTEM NOURISHING DIET
Use this diet to help relieve nervous tension, cramps, pain, anxiety, insomnia, bloating, constipation, dryness & chilliness.
General treatments:
Please just eat what is appropriate for you. If you are intolerant of any food or simply do not like it then please avoid it.
• This diet is to help raise the digestive fire and enhance the assimilation of nutrients which will help calm the nervous system.
• Emphasise foods that are warm, soupy and easy to digest.
• Eat at regular times.
• Eat to less than full.
• Practice relaxation.
• Avoid yeast, refined sugars, coffee, tea, tobacco, drugs, poor quality oils and extremely spicy foods as these aggravate the digestion and the nervous system.
• Favour foods that are warm, heavy, and oily as these nourish the nervous system.
• Reduce foods that are cold, dry, and hard as these aggravate digestion.
• Favour foods that are sweet (e.g. wheat, milk, rice), sour (e.g. vinegar, yogurt, umeboshi plums, citrus fruit), and salty as these are all nourishing.
• Reduce foods that are very spicy, bitter (e.g. chillies, coffee, green leafy vegetables), and astringent (e.g. apples, beans) as these aggravate digestion and disturb the nervous system.
• Dairy: all dairy products nourish the nervous system. Always boil milk before you drink it, mix with cardamom seeds and drink it warm. Don’t take milk with a full meal or with fruit. Use organic milk. If allergic substitute with almond or rice milk. Avoid ice cream, powdered milks and soya milk.
• Sweeteners: all sweet flavours are good for nourishing the nervous system. Reduce refined white sugar. Avoid all sugars if bloating is present.
• Oils: all oils reduce dryness and nourish the nervous system. Emphasise Flax, hemp, sesame, ghee, olive, sunflower, evening primrose, borage and fish oils. Use these internally and externally.
• Grains: rice (basmati, brown, wild), wheat, oats (cooked) and quinoa are very good for nourishing the nervous system. Amaranth is ok. Reduce intake of barley, corn, millet, buckwheat and rye as these are a bit drying and can be difficult to digest creating wind. Avoid the rest
• Fruits: favour sweet, sour, or heavy fruits, such as berries, bananas, avocados, grapes, cherries, lemons, limes, fresh figs, peaches, melons, plums, pineapples, mangoes, and papayas. Cooked apples and pears are ok. Soaked prunes and raisins are ok. Avoid dried fruits, uncooked apples, pears, pomegranates, cranberries as these can create wind.
• Vegetables: asparagus, beets, cucumbers, carrots, and sweet potatoes are the best. Peas, green leafy vegetables, celery, summer squash, winter squash, and potatoes are best well cooked in oil or ghee with mild spices. Seaweeds are very beneficial. It’s best to avoid the Brassica family: brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. Also avoid Solanaceae (nightshade) family; peppers, aubergines, potatoes and tomatoes. Raw vegetables, especially onions are banned as these all create wind.
• Spices: Most of them, especially; asafoetida, cardamom, cumin, coriander, ginger, fennel, dill, cinnamon, salt, cloves, mustard seed, black pepper all help reduce gas and spasms in the digestive system.
• Nuts: all nuts and seeds are good in moderation, especially soaked.
• Beans: avoid all beans, except for marinated tofu and mung lentils and occasionally red lentils.
• Meat and fish: chicken, turkey, eggs and seafood are fine; beef should be avoided.
PITTA REDUCING DIET
INFLAMMATION & HEAT REDUCING DIET
Use this diet to help clear skin inflammations, itching, joint pain, hot flushes, acidity, ulcers, anger, irritation, infections, fever, late spring
General Treatments
Please just eat what is appropriate for you. If you are intolerant of any food or simply do not like it then please avoid it.
• Include Aloe Vera juice and rose water daily
• Avoid alcohol, coffee, tea, chocolate, cheese, yogurt, and excess animal products. Low quality oils are a major cause of inflammation.
• Avoid sour, salty, and pungent foods as these aggravate inflammation.
• Favour foods that are cool, refreshing and liquid. Fresh organic fruits and vegetables.
• Favour foods that are sweet, bitter, or astringent as these reduce heat.
• Reduce foods that are spicy, salty or sour as these increase heat.
• Dairy: Milk, butter, and ghee are good for pacifying heat. Avoid yogurt, cheese, sour cream, and cultured buttermilk; their sour taste aggravates inflammation.
• Sweeteners: All sweeteners are good except for honey and molasses.
• Oils: Flax, hemp, borage, evening primrose, olive, sunflower, and coconut oils are best. Reduce sesame, almond, and corn oil, all of which increase heat.
• Grains: Wheat, basmati rice, barley and oats are anti-inflammatory. Reduce corn, rye, millet, and brown rice as they are a little heating.
• Fruits: Favour sweet fruits such as grapes, limes, cherries, melons, avocado, coconut, pomegranates, mangoes, apples, berries, sweet and fully ripened oranges. Reduce sour fruits such as grapefruits, lemons, olives, papayas and sour, not-yet-ripened oranges, pineapples, and plums as they can increase heat and acidity.
• Vegetables: Favour asparagus, cucumber, cooked beetroots, sweet potatoes, green leafy vegetables, pumpkins, summer squash, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, okra, lettuce, sprouted beans, peas, green beans. Avoid Solanaceae (nightshade) family: hot peppers, bell peppers, tomatoes, aubergines, potato (some is ok). Also avoid Allium (onion) family; especially raw onions & garlic and other pungent vegetables such as radishes and horseradish. Also avoid raw beetroots, raw spinach and mustard greens as these all increase heat and acidity.
• Beans: Avoid all beans except for tofu and mung lentils. Especially avoid peanuts as these can create inflammation.
• Spices: Cinnamon, coriander, dill, aniseed, cardamom, fennel, turmeric, fresh ginger and small amounts of black pepper are good, but the following spices strongly increase heat and should be taken in moderation: Asafoetida, dry ginger, cumin, fenugreek, clove, celery seed, salt, and mustard seed. Chilli peppers and cayenne should be avoided.
• Meat and Fish: Chicken, pheasant, and turkey are preferable; but beef, seafood, and egg yolk increase inflammation.
• Superfoods: Chlorella, Spirulina, Wheat grass, Barley grass, Klamath lake algae, seaweeds all help to cool the system and clear inflammation.
KAPHA REDUCING DIET
Use this diet to help clear mucus, heaviness, sinus congestion, think tongue coating, tiredness, sluggishness, high cholesterol, oedema, excess weight and is useful during winter months
General Treatments
Please just eat what is appropriate for you. If you are intolerant of any food or simply do not like it then please avoid it.
• Avoid yeast, salt, cheese, yoghurt, chocolate, and refined sugars and flours as these increase mucus.
• Avoid overeating, especially at night.
• Do not eat when you are not hungry. Do not eat between meals.
• Do not eat cold foods
• A primarily vegetarian diet is highly recommended.
• Include ginger in your daily diet: take a pinch of fresh ginger root with a few drops of lemon juice before each meal.
• Favour foods that are light, dry, and warm as these reduce mucus.
• Reduce foods that are heavy, oily, and cold as these increase weight and mucus.
• Favour foods that are spicy, bitter, and astringent (e.g. ginger, asparagus, tea) as these help to dry excess fluids in the body.
• Reduce foods that are sweet, salty, and sour (e.g. cakes, crisps, vinegar) as these increase fluids in the body.
• Dairy: Low-fat milk is better. Always boil milk before you drink it (making it easier to digest) and take it warm. Do not take milk with a full meal, or with sour or salty food. Add some cardamom or ginger to whole milk before boiling it to help reduce any mucus generating properties. Use goat’s milk or water milk down 50/50. A little ghee (clarified butter) is fine. Avoid eggs, cheese, yoghurt and buffalo milk.
• Fruits: Lighter fruits, such as apples and pears, are better. Reduce sweet, heavy or sour fruits such as oranges, bananas, pineapples, figs, dates, avocados, coconuts, and melons, as these fruits increase mucus.
• Sweeteners: Use a little honey (2 tsp/day) as it helps to reduce mucus. Reduce all other sugar products.
• Beans: All beans are fine, except tofu as it is very cold.
• Nuts: Reduce all nuts as they are too oily.
• Oils: Reduce all oils but flax, corn and sunflower is ok.
• Grains: Increase barley, corn, buckwheat, quinoa and millet as these are slightly drying or warming. Avoid or do not take too much wheat, rice, or oats, as they increase heaviness and mucus.
• Spices: Include all spices except for salt. Salt increases water retention and mucus whereas spices increase warmth in the body.
• Vegetables: Increase asparagus, aubergine, beetroots, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, garlic, ginger, green leaves, kale, onion, potato, pumpkin, radish, sprouts. Reduce okra, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, and summer squash as these increase fluids.
• Meat and Fish: White meat from chicken or turkey is fine, as is seafood. Avoid or reduce red meat and pork.
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